Lead and rule eoldek



3 SheetSJ-Sheet-l.

A. A. Low.

LEAD AND RULE HOLDER.

(No Model.)

No. 383,960 PatentedJuii@ 5,1888.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Nomoael'.)

. A..v A. LOW.

LEAD AND RULE HOLDER. No. 383,960. I Patented June 5,1888.l

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. A. LOW.

LEADAND RULEv HOLDER. y No. 383,960. Patented June 5, 1888.

lll wifi/lama NrE STATES PATENT OEEICE.

A. AUGUSTUS LOV, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR IO THE ALDEN TYPE MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

,LEAD AND RULE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION orming part of Letters Patent No. 383.960, dated .Tune 5, 1888.

Application tiled December 1G, 1886. Serial No. 221.716. (No model.) l

T0 (LZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, A. AUeUs'rUs Low, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lead and Rule Holders for Compositors Use, of which thefollowing is a specification sufiicient to enable others skilled in theart to which the invention appertains to makeand use the same.

My invention relates to the class of apparatus for holding and presenting leads or rules for compositors use heretofore originated by me, and for which I have obtained Letters Patent No. 356,845, dated February 1, 1887.

In this class of apparatus the lowest leads or rules in a line or column contained in an inclinedchanncl or holder are successively removed, as required, through a suitably-situated lateral opening in the side of the channel or holder, the'leads or rules being automatically fed successively into position for Yremoval by the aid of gravity. In my recent applications for patents upon this subject filed October 80, 1886, Serial Nos. 217,616 and 219,985, filed November 26, 1886, the leads or rules are inclined backward, substantially as herein shown and described, and I do not seek to cover broadly herein the means for effecting this treatment of the leads or rules, butin this connection confine myself to the special and improved construction of parts hereinafter set forth, by which I am enabled to effect certain practical advantages in use not heretofore attained.

It is obvious that by lesseuing the angle at which the leads or rules are to descend, I am thereby enabled to decrease the pressure of the line or column above upon the lowest leads or rules, thus proportionately decreasing the resistance to be overcome by the hand of the compositor while effecting the removal of the leads or rules successively through the lateral opening at the front of the case or channel.

In my Letters Patent No. 356,845, dated February 1, 1887, I describe and show a. channel-floor pivotally suspended at the front end of the case and adjustable in inclination. In the present case I also pivotally suspend the supporting-floor at or near the front end of the case; and the features of novelty in this connection consist in providing for a slight adj ustmcnt of said supporting-floor longitudinally in order to regulate with accuracy from the back of the ease or channel the position of the lower front edges of the holder, such lower front-end line-rest in the present ease being attached to and forming a part of the door.

Another feature of novelty consists in the special means employed herein for supporting the rear end of the fioor and effecting its adjustment in inclination, a supporting lever or handle, pivotally connected to the floor-piece, being used as both a handle for raising and lowering the floor and as a catch, which, by entering any of a series of notches provided for the purpose, will sustain the floor in the required position.

In connection with an adjustable stop or screw upon the line-follower, another special feature of my present construction consists in forming the inclined floor of the channel or case with a series of perforations adapted to receive the lower end of the said adjustable pin or screw upon the follower when it is desired to lock or hold the follower in a prescribed position within the channel or case-as, for instance, when not in use or during the removal or transfer' of the apparatus. Incidentally these perforations, in conjunction with a ccntral groove in the upper side of the iloor,afford means for the escape of dirt or other foreign substances which are liable to collect during use.

My present invention also includes the combination and arrangement,with the pivotallysuspended floor adj ustable in inclinatiomof an upper front end line support, which is adjustable concentrically for the purpose of eiecting and preserving the proper relation of the parts under all circumstances.

Another feature of my improved construction consists iu making the lower frontend rest adjustable upon its support for the purpose of regulating and controlling with accu- 9 racy the lower ends or heels of the leads or rules according to the requirements of the various thicknesses to be used in the case or channel.

My invention also includes a special form of roo cover for the channel or case, consisting of a top plate-sliding between the upper side walls and provided with a downwardly-projccting front plate, which is adjustable in length, so that it may be regulated to coincide with the height of the leads or rules, to the top only of which it is designed to eXtend,thus protecting all but the front surface of the lowest lead or rule in the column, the exposure of which is essential during use and unobjectionable when the case or channel is not in use.

In order to guard against all possibility of the unintentional displacement of the lowest lead or rule through the transverse exit when the device is not Qin use or during its temporary removal or transfer, I provide the upper front end guard with an adjustable pin or screw, by which the upper ends ofthe lowest lead or rule may be forced back beyond the front edge of the side wall of the case or channel. This front edge of the side wall,in front of which the leads or rules are Withdrawn, is also of peculiar formation, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, for the purpose of facilitating the clearance and removal of the leads or rules.

The invention includes aswin ging backrest or brace, which, when not in use, acts as a cover to the rear end of the case or channel, inelosing and protecting the means for adjusting the inclined floor, but which, when it is desired to impart a lateral inclination to the channel or case, as and for the reasons eX- plained in my recent applications for patents, may be used as a support or prop for the case or channel, as indicated in Fig. S.

I do not design to confine myself strictly to the identical construction shownin theaccompanying drawings, which are simply designed to illustrate practicable means for giving effect to the special features of my invention, and for convenience in illustration are disproportionate in some respects.

Figure lis avertical longitudinal section of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the rear end of the line-follower and the adjoining portion of the door upon a plane coinciding with the center of the adjustable stop or screw. Fig.' 3 is `an elevation of the righthand side of the ease or channel. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the left-hand side of the case or channel; Fig. 5, a plan of the same closed; Fig. 6, a similar view with the cover removed; Fig. 7, a vertical longitudinal section of the casein whicha storage channel or tray has been introduced; Fig. 8, an end view of the device illustrating the use of the back cover as a brace or support when it is desired to incline the case or channel laterally. Fig. 9 is a transverse section of the follower and adjoining portion of the -floor, taken upon a plane coinciding with the axis of the rear roller in the follower; Fig. 10, a top view of the rear portion of the adjustable floor, showing the adjoining wall, tc., in section; Fig. 11, a bottom view of the rear portion'of the adjustable floor, showing the adjoining side walls, &c., in section.

The front edges, a2 a3, of the sidewalls of the channel or helder A are inclined at an angle approximating that which the greater variety of leads or rules will be made to assume in their descent, the longer and heavier leads or rules requiring a greater elevation of the floor than the smaller leads or rules.

Any deviation from the fixed front lines of the side walls is compensated for upon the left-hand side by making the upper end front rest b adjustable concentrieall y with the mean position of the pivot e of the adjustable iioor (1n-that is to say, if it is necessary to increase the degree ofinclination of the door C beyond that shown in the drawings, the upper front end rest is correspondingly adjusted forward so as to maintain the proper relation between the parts. This adjustment may be effected in various ways. the lateral projection or rest I is mounted upon an arm, b', by which it is secured to the lefthand sidewall, a', the arm b being formed with a slot, b2, through which the binding-screws b3 b3 pass. The slot b2 issubstantially concentric to the mean position of the pivot c, and it is also preferably made wide enough to admit of more or less lateral adjustment when necessary to compensate for any slight change in the posit-ion of the pivot c.

The opposed bearingsurface L, upon the righthand side, is permanently attached to the floorpiece C, projecting upward therefrom and partaking of its motion when adjusted, so that the relative positions of these parts are maintained under all circumstances. The bearing L is cut away underneath the gagepoint L, substantially as shown, for the purpose of facilitating the clearance and withdrawal of the leads or rules. In attaching the bearing L to the floor-piece provision is made for a slight degree of adjustment, as by the slots Z and set-screws Z in Fig. 3.

Between the side walls, a a, near the rear of the device, is arranged the curved segment I), concentric with the mean position of the pivot c. This segment is formed with a longitudinal slot, d, through which the adjusting-screw c projects. The inner end of the said screw c engages a female screwfth read formed in the rear end of the door-piece C, and it is held against longitudinal movement by the collar c and nut c3, so that by its rotation in one or the other direction it will cause the floor C to advance or recede, within certain limits, as the case may be, the pivot c resting loosely upon the upper edges of the bearings a4 a, and sliding back or forth thereon under the impulse of the screw. The nut c3 also affords a means of holding the screw in a prescribed position, but the rear end of the floor C is designedv to be supported positively by other means than the screw c', a laterally-swinging lever, E, being provided for this purpose. The inner end of the lever E is pivotally ab As shown in the drawings,

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taehed to the under side of the lloor C, as at e, and its outer end projects through the slot d, so as to afford a handle. Notches d d are formed in the segmental piece D, which open into the said slot al, and when it is desired to support the door C in a prescribed position the outer portion of the lever E is simply swung into the approximate notch, as will be understood by reference to Figs. l, 7,8, and ll.

A swinging cover, F, is pivoted to a crosspiece,a,between the upper rear side walls, and is designed to inclose and protect the screw c and lever E; or it may, if required, be used as a brace or rest, as shownin Fig. 8, when it is desired to uincline the channel or holder laterally.

For the smaller and more numerous sizes of leads and rules the floor will occupy what may be calledits normal position, approximately that illustrated in the drawings, in which position it is designed to inclose the upper part of the channel or compartment by a sliding cover, G. The horizontal portion g of this cover G is supported in the horizontalgrooiv'es a7 a7, formed in the upper edges of the side walls, a a', and is held therein by a set-screw,

G which en aves a female screw-thread in the cross-piece a The horizontal portion g of the eoverGis formed with a slot, g',through which the screw G passes. By this means the cover G is given a certain degree of adjustment horizontally, so that it may be brought forward beyond the lowest lead or rule when leads or rules longer than those shown are used; or, in the case of the use of longer leads or rules, the inclined front portion, G2, of the cover G may `be contracted in length to conform to the new requirements, the said front inclined section, G2, being made of two parts-et'. c., the rigid extension g2 and the adjustable plate g, substantially as shown. The movable plate g3 is preferably formed with the longitudinal slot g4, through which the set-screws 05,05 pass and engage with female screw-threads in the rigid extension g.

The upper front line cud support, I), is pro vided with an adjustable stop or screw, b', which in use is retracted so as not to project beyond the inner surface of the said upper front linc end support, the object of its use being to afford a means of forcing back the upper portion of the line, when not in use, beyond the front edge of the bearing-surfaceL, sothat the lowest lead or rule cannot be dislodged laterally. The lower front line end support, H, is secured adjustably to the forward extension, C', of the floor C by any appropriate means. As shown in the drawings, it is formed with a slot, h, through which the set-screws h h pass before entering the female screw-threads formed for their reception in the extension C. The upper surface of the latter extends forward at a right angle to the length of leads or rules when in position.

. The fioor C is formed with a series of perforations, c4 et, and its upper surface is formed with a central groove or gutter, c5. The groove or gutter e5 not only serves to decrease the frictional contact with the follower I, but also facilitates the collection and discharge through the perforations c c4 of dirt or other foreign substances which would otherwise be liable to accumulate objectionably during the use of the device. The perforations c" also afford means for engaging the lower end of the adjustable stop or screwJ, situated at the rear of the follower I. W'hen it is desired to hold the follower in a certain position against movement in the channel, the stop J is adjusted so that it will enter any of the series of holes c", and certain ofthe latter may be provided with female screw-th reads for the purpose of positively engaging the end of the stop J and thereby locking the follower in position for transportation or storage purposes.

Vhere a storage channel or tray, K, is used, as illustrated in Fig. 7, its bottom is formed with holes lc, whiclrcoineide with the perforations etin the adjustable supporting-door C, and the 'action in such case is the same as though the leads or rules rested directly upon the said supporting-Hoor C.

The front bearing or line supporting edge, t', of the follower I is formed at the angle with relation to the supporting-floor C at which it is desired to maintain the leads with relation to the said door under all circumstances, the variations in the angle oftheir inclination from a vertical line being effected by the adjustment of the rear end of the supporting-floor, as hereinbefore set forth. The extreme lower front end, fi', ofthe follower I is formed so as to extend at right angles to the floor of the channel or compartment.

The lower edge of the follower is provided with one or more rollers or wheels, tzt, substantiall y as shown, which project sufficiently below the under side of the follower to pre vent frictional contatt with the fioor. The adjustable floor C is formed with a rectangular back, c, at the rear for the purpose of isolating the segment D and the means of adj ust ment from the contents of the channel.

It is obvious that the apparatus may be varied somewhat in detail from the actual construction shown without deviating from the spirit and intent of my invention.

The cover F may be provided with a series of perforations, f', if desired, for the purpose of varying the lateral inclination of the channel by means of the set-screwf2, which may be passed through any of the said holes before engaging with the cross-piece af. Y

I am aware that in my application for patent concurrent herewith, No. 222,238, 'filed December 22, 1886, I show and describe certain features of construction which are also shown herein, and I therefore wish it to be understood that I expressly disclaim herein all features specifically claimed in said applica- 'tion and confine myself herein to the subjectmatter of the claims hereinafter set forth.

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What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-V l. In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, a tloor-piece which is adjustable longitudinally, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, the combination and arrangement, with the floor-piece C, pivotally suspended at its front end and provided at its rear end with the swinging catch or lever E, ot the concentric segment D, formed with the longitudinal slot d, having lateral notches d', for the reception and support of the said lever E, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, the combination, with a iloor-piece pivotally suspended at its front end, of the concentric segment D, formed with the slot d and provided with the adjustingscrew c', arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

4. In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, the'tloor-piece C, formed with the central groove, c5, and series of perforations c, for the purpose and substantially in the manner described.

5. 4In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, the combination, with a door-piece formed with a series of perfora' tions, substantially as described, ofa line-'Iollower provided with au adjustable stop adapted to engage the said per-forations, for the purpose and substantially in the manner set forth.

6. In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, a Hoor-piece formed with a forward extension substantially at right angles to the position of the leads or rules upon the said floor, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

7. In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, the combination, with the tloorpiece formed with the forward extension, substantially as described, of the adjustable lower front line end rest or support arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

8. In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, the combination, with the adjustable floor-piece pivotally suspended at its front end, of the concentrically-adjustable upper front line end support, b, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

9. Alead and rule holder substantially such as described, formed with a back plate or cover, F, at its rear end, the upper extremity of which is pivotally connected to the holder in such manner as to permit of the lower end being swung outward laterally, for the purpose and substantially in the manner de scribed.

l0. In a lead and rule holder substantiallyr such as described, the sliding cover G, formed with the horizontal plate g and forward extension, G2, the latter projecting downward at an angle substantially the same as that of the inclination of the leads and rules in the compartment and inclosing the space above the transverse front guard, b, in combination with the latter and with the inclined parallel side walls of the holder, for the purpose and substantially in the manner described.

ll. In combination with a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, the sliding cover G, formed of the horizontal plate g and extension g, and provided with the adjustable plate g3, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

l2. In a lead and rule holder substantially such as described, the sliding cover G, consisting of the inclined front portion, g2, projecting downward from the rnain portion g, which rests between parallel guides al al, and is formed with a longitudinal slot, y', and is provided with a set-screw, G', engaging the frame of the holder for the purpose of securing the cover rigidly in a prescribed position, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

13. In a lead and rule holder substantially` such as described, the side bearing L, formed with the gage L and receding backward and downward from that point, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

' A. AUGUSTUS LOV.'

XVitnesses:

WM. GARDNER, Gno. XV. MIATT. 

